New films slated for China’s National Day holiday have generated over 100 million yuan (about 14 million U.S. dollars) in pre-sales and previews, according to a leading ticketing platform on Tuesday.
This year’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period will run from Oct. 1 to 8.
Among the most anticipated titles is "The Volunteers: Peace at Last," the final installment of a war epic trilogy. The film revisits the Chinese People's Volunteers’ campaign during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950–1953), portraying both the fierce combat and the high-stakes negotiations that led to the armistice agreement.
"The film is not only centered around the events but also around the characters. The storyline of the negotiation delegation, the process of negotiating with the U.S.-led UN command, follows two female characters. It is filled with some intense conflicts and contradictions which created some rather touching moments," said Chen Kaige, director of the film.
"Row to Win" tells the heartwarming story of a family bravely facing life's challenges with a lighthearted and humorous touch, blending laughter with tears.
"I think what sets this film apart from others is that it doesn't elaborate on a specific event or a particular emotion. Instead, it weaves a powerful emotional net. In fact, we should adopt an uplifting attitude to face our life and the current difficulties at hand," said Huang Bo, actor of "Row to Win".
"A Writer's Odyssey" follows a novelist who attempts to destroy his own work, but his fictional characters launched a rebellion, plunging both the real world and the fictional realm into crisis. Ultimately, the novelist and his characters join forces to resolve the turmoil.
"The Return of the Lame Hero" centers on the theme of anti-pickpocketing, telling the story of a rookie cop who, despite suffering an unexpected setback on the very first day of his career, refuses to abandon his dream of being a police officer.
The animated film "Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes", centers on Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), portraying the choices made by historical figures amidst the tumultuous times.
The promotion of the new films has entered the final sprint stage. Many new films have completed their premieres in multiple cities. To be the first to enjoy the films, many viewers specially bought premiere tickets to watch them in advance.
"The second part of the movie -- 'The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death' left a bit of suspense. I was very curious about what the ending of 'The Volunteers: Peace at Last' would be, so I came to the premiere to get the tickets. I was still very excited and moved while watching it," said a moviegoer.
"I'm looking forward to the movie 'Row to Win', because the behind-the-scenes footage is funny," said another moviegoer.
A film data analyst noted that sequels and franchise movies are becoming the mainstays of this year's holiday cinema.
"Among the pre-sale viewers of 'The Volunteers: Peace at Last', those over 40 years old account for nearly 40 percent. The proportion of people watching the film in groups is close to 20 percent and data of family viewing is also very outstanding. The pre-sale box office of 'A Writer's Odyssey' in fourth-tier cities accounted for more than 20 percent. Sequels, series, and IP development have become the mainstream of this year's films scheduled for the National Day Holiday, and they all have good reputation and box office competitiveness," said Chen Jin, a film data analyst of Beacon, a box office data tracker run by Alibaba.
China’s holiday box office surges past 100 million yuan in pre-sales
